The Democratic Socialists of America has imagined a future in which the bills disappear.

“You don’t pay a mortgage or have a landlord,” its 2026 program declares. Its housing agenda calls for publicly owned construction, tighter regulation of investment properties, and universal rent control.

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For people struggling to afford an apartment, that is an attractive invitation. But eliminating the landlord does not eliminate the cost of housing. Someone must still finance construction, replace the boiler, and repair the roof. Socialism changes who receives the invoice.

Capitalism offers a more credible route to affordability: Reward people for supplying homes, then make them compete for tenants.

The distinction matters because a landlord’s greatest advantage........

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